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December 1999

UNU launches series of international conferences
In November 1999, the UNU presented the first of a planned series of international conferences on economic development. The inaugural conference, held at the UNU Centre in Tokyo on 15-16 November, was "Iran in a Globalizing World: New Horizons, New Perspectives."

Iran was a fitting focus for the inaugural event since the initiative for the planned series of conferences was made in a joint press statement issued by Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi of Iran and Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura of Japan following their meeting in December 1998. The 1979 Islamic Revolution had profound effects not only within Iran but throughout the region and the world. Now, after 20 years of relative isolation, Iran faces the task of trying to forge new international linkages and deal with the challenges and opportunities presented by the increasingly complex and inter-related nature of today's globalizing world.

The two-day conference featured sessions on "Globalization and Development," "Energy-related Issues in the Region," and "Preserving Cultural Integrity and Promoting Dialogue Among Civilizations," capped by a symposium on the conference's central theme of "Iran in a Globalizing World." Among the speakers were representatives of government ministries, non-governmental organizations, universities, and policy research institutes from Iran, France, India, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and Japan.